I love the game, in fact I think I am better at the LCG than X-Wing, but I can't help but feel that FFG took the strongest LS deck and made it without a question the only one that will,can, and should be used to win. We don't know what the Imp Navy, Scum, or Rebs are getting, but we know that Jedi are getting a slight boost, and that Sith is going to be just as strong as ever for the DS, but what about the other factions?

I know that I used a speeder deck in my last tournament because I don't have the double core or EoD, and it worked well, but I see the new Smuggler cards coming out and I know that if I really want to win I have to use that and get a second EoD now.

So is Smuggler broken? Will Navy, Scum and Rebs get the big boost they need from this set? Or will they continue to look pretty in card boxes?

No there are plenty of viable options for the LS.

Smugglers are getting a strong new objective set and it will change the meta but it is by no means earth shattering. All the cards have been spoiled for this next pack and each of them offers something new to their respective factions (except Scum they get skipped this pack). Freeholders are going to be a fun unit to play with and against but that doesn't make the other units useless.

You said yourself that your Speeder deck worked well despite not having the "go-to" deck and this will continue to be the case. There are plenty of counters to the freeholders already in the game (Interrogations, Get Me Solo, Force Push etc). On this forum and others you'll find many people who don't play smugglers and sith.

I think if anything FFG has added these sets to shake up the meta, two sets that are very enticing to the current perceived best decks, (S&S and Sith). Both of these objectives limit those decks to a mono faction (or risk resource management).

It used to be game over for a lot of LS decks in the past against the Sith Control, so if this LS theme is that good, I won't mind it.

The new Smuggler pod is overrated. It is good, but far from the end of the world.

Straight smuggler will still get curb stomped by Sith. Mixed decks will still have good success against most DS decks. Nothing new, just different deck choices.

It used to be game over for a lot of LS decks in the past against the Sith Control, so if this LS theme is that good, I won't mind it.

Agree to disagree I guess. DS has been very beatable since the very first force pack. In my opinion, a vast majority of players simply do not understand how to beat Sith control. I would attribute most of that to not being patient and feeling pressured into ill-advised attacks. In other words, lack of experience.

I will concede that beating a Sith control deck out of just 2xCore set was extremely difficult.

I will concede that beating a Sith control deck out of just 2xCore set was extremely difficult.

Agreed with the fact that you have to be patient, but when Killing Cold came out it still gave it an edge over most LS decks and the Fist and Executor packs helped.

Besides, back to topic, Aqauris Freelancers will be targeted by my Join Me! awwwwwww yeah!

The new Smuggler pod is overrated. It is good, but far from the end of the world.

Straight smuggler will still get curb stomped by Sith. Mixed decks will still have good success against most DS decks. Nothing new, just different deck choices.

You must not be paying attention. Mono smuggler with Trust me and false report will beat Sith the majority of the time. If you take away thier events sith just can't deal with fat units like freeloaders.

The new Smuggler pod is overrated. It is good, but far from the end of the world.

Straight smuggler will still get curb stomped by Sith. Mixed decks will still have good success against most DS decks. Nothing new, just different deck choices.

You must not be paying attention. Mono smuggler with Trust me and false report will beat Sith the majority of the time. If you take away thier events sith just can't deal with fat units like freeloaders.

Whatever you say. I guess time will tell.

Because Trust me + big units has been such a dominant force prior to the pack amirite? If you think 4 hps will save you, I have a bridge to sell you.

I think Trust Me is great but the new force pack doesn't make it even greater.

I currently run a mono-build with Trust Me and it's been doing fine against Sith control.

Playing with a few friends I've had multiple instances where I'd be afraid to have The False Report as my next objective in my deck. If trust me helps free holders that much I'd expect to see a lot of Trust Me Renegade Squadon Mobilization decks running the meta.

I still think the freeholders are going to be a thing only because people make them one, they will just be another useful tool like the Falcon, once the dust settles. There was similar hype and worry when the Falcon's objective came out, and yes, it's powerful but that's not to say that only decks with the Falcon will win you a tournament.

I think Trust Me is great but the new force pack doesn't make it even greater.

I currently run a mono-build with Trust Me and it's been doing fine against Sith control.

Playing with a few friends I've had multiple instances where I'd be afraid to have The False Report as my next objective in my deck. If trust me helps free holders that much I'd expect to see a lot of Trust Me Renegade Squadon Mobilization decks running the meta.

I still think the freeholders are going to be a thing only because people make them one, they will just be another useful tool like the Falcon, once the dust settles. There was similar hype and worry when the Falcon's objective came out, and yes, it's powerful but that's not to say that only decks with the Falcon will win you a tournament.

I agree. I was not trying to say they were bad, just that there's a lot of hype that I think is a bit unjustified. Its great on paper, I think there will be many who find it did not meet their rather high expectations.

I'm just hoping I will be able to run mono-Jedi after the new pack comes out and not lose so hard it's embarrassing. I hate feeling obligated to splash, but I like playing for flavor/theme, so eh.

Well, my opinion of the new pack went up after seeing the Smuggler Pod in the 2nd pack. Still don't think its "the end is near" time, but it does make some aspects of the new pod more controllable in a good way.

Smugglers is not broken at all, there pods are simply at the level that most other decks "should" be at to give you a good 50/50 @ beating a sith control deck. In reality they are not broken other factions are underpowered and should be raised up, smugglers are one of the few factions that have got constantly "playable" pods unlike...

Smugglers is not broken at all, there pods are simply at the level that most other decks "should" be at to give you a good 50/50 @ beating a sith control deck. In reality they are not broken other factions are underpowered and should be raised up, smugglers are one of the few factions that have got constantly "playable" pods unlike...

This assessment seems fair to me. I don't think Smugglers are so much 'overpowered' as 'more consistent in the quality of their cards'. The best Smuggler pods don't seem better to me, personally, than the best Jedi or Rebel pods.

I am a Rebel player and just want to see some Rebel love.

I remember reading the first articles about the factions and thinking, "I am okay with combo decks; I used them in the other games I have played in the past and it will be fine." However, here we are beginning the second Force cycle and I do not see very many mono-Rebel decks creeping into the meta.

Spooling back to OP, I hope that what they are doing now in building a solid baseline for S&S decks they do in some sort of rotating fashion for all the factions, at that fast enough that people lose interest in waiting for each faction to find its strength.

I am a Rebel player and just want to see some Rebel love.

I remember reading the first articles about the factions and thinking, "I am okay with combo decks; I used them in the other games I have played in the past and it will be fine." However, here we are beginning the second Force cycle and I do not see very many mono-Rebel decks creeping into the meta.

Spooling back to OP, I hope that what they are doing now in building a solid baseline for S&S decks they do in some sort of rotating fashion for all the factions, at that fast enough that people lose interest in waiting for each faction to find its strength.

Good point. I'm glad Jedi is getting more options with this next pack and in the cycle as a whole, so I can just play a Jedi deck for the same reason. I know what you mean about the Rebels, though. I mean, speeders are cool (my Rebel deck is pure speeders), but the objective sets in the Core Set looked like they had lots of combo potential and I would like to see more sets like them for the Rebels in future. I suck playing weenie rush (i.e., speeders) and would like some cool Rebel combos!

The new Rebel set in Heroes and Legends looks light it might lead to some cool combos.

I haven't seen it and I don't want to...I want at least one unspoiled set. I've got to stop looking at spoilers, but it's so hard to resist.

That was spoiled a while ago on Smugglers Den. You've probably already seen it.

Bah! Now I remember. Oh, well. I will say that I'm glad I saw the new Scum pod for Lure of the Dark Side. Very exciting. Guess I'm a big fat hypocrite.

I don't understand why you wouldn't want to know the whole thing in advance, I certainly do. Who wants to sit reading cards and figuring out what you're going to do with them, when you could already have that figured out and thus start playing sooner?

EDIT: And perhaps more to the point, who wants to be across the table from that guy?

True, but finding out in the first place just gives you such a big rush. I'm a feeler, not a thinker, so eh.

Jan Ors is a really good unit IMO. I'm glad Kyle didn't end up killing her.

It's the little things in life that make one grateful, I've found.